Tag: home cooking

Why I Add Baking Soda to my Tomato Sauce - Tips and Tricks

Why I Add Baking Soda To Tomato Sauce

Why do I add baking soda to tomato sauce? A few years ago, a friend who knows I love “Tips and Tricks” gave me this one. It started as a conversation about heartburn. I told her that it seemed to be an issue for me after eating tomato sauce. She mentioned that maybe adding a bit of baking soda during the cooking process might help because it cuts down on the acidity (Not medical advice, just a friendly tip!)

Against my better judgement, I decided to give this tip a try. After spending a whole Sunday making meatballs and sauce, I didn’t want to ruin it. In hindsight, I could have made a small pot of Marinara Sauce and not risked a whole day of work. But adding baking soda to tomato sauce worked out, so all is well.

I have been told about 1/4 tsp. of baking soda per cup of sauce. I do it in small stages until the sauce is the desired taste. You can always add more, but you cannot take it back once it is done. Some say this takes the place of a bit of sugar in your sauce. However, when it comes to Sunday Gravy, I still add a bit of sugar. With Marinara Sauce, I might leave the sugar out.

If Cauliflower can somehow become pizza…. You, my friend, can do anything.

-Unknown

The tip is to not add too much and to not be afraid of the foaming process. Gently mix the sauce until the foaming stops. This can take a few minutes and make sure to incorporate all the sauce or you will have foaming later. I was very nervous. It is kind of like being back in high school chemistry class and a bit fun.

I was asked what canned tomatoes do I use. I use Pastene No Salt Added Ground Peeled Tomatoes and I love them. If I happen to use another brand of tomatoes, I still use the baking soda trick and it works every time. This is not an issue that the sauce tastes bad without the baking soda, it is just better with it… in a subtle way. Also, I do think it helps with heartburn, but who knows. (No medical advice here, just an observation)

Why I Add Baking Soda to my Tomato Sauce - Tips and Tricks

I will never leave this step out again. It mellows the sauce and does cut down on the acidity. I love these little tips and tricks. Please share if you have any to add. I would love to try them out and will give you full credit.

If you are interested in more foodie content, please check out the Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs for more tried and true family recipes and restaurant reviews.

Everyone needs a great Pasta Bolognese Recipe in the arsenal and this is the one! It's easy and the whole family will love it.

Bolognese Sauce Recipe – A Great Sunday Dinner

This Bolognese Sauce Recipe is perfect for Sunday dinner. Everyone needs a great Bolognese Recipe in their rotation and this one cannot be beat. I was craving a great Sunday Dinner, so I called my brother-in-law Ron for this recipe and he graciously shared it. It was actually my late father’s recipe, which I did not know. It does not get any better than that. I love nothing more than to make the recipes of the people I love. Food is love and memories and this checked all those boxes. My dad was a great cook and so is my brother-in-law, so this was a great Sunday Dinner.

When I started this recipe today, I could not find ground pork anywhere in the stores. I decided to use pork chops because I knew I could cook it low and slow to the point where the pork chops would shred. Great idea! This will be my new go-to method.

As you can see by my switching out the ground pork for pork chops, Bolognese Sauce is a very adaptable recipe. We leave out the carrots, because we have food allergies and use gluten free pasta for those of us who are gluten free. My new favorite gluten free pasta is Rummo. It is hard to find in stores, but worth it if you can find it. Red wine or white wine is fine. I prefer the red wine, but I have used the white and it was still fabulous.

I have started this recipe in a pot and transferred to a crock pot to finish cooking, but I am a big fan of the dutch oven cooking all day in the oven. Both ways are fabulous and all depend on how much time you have. Check out my other pages here on my Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs.

Sundays are for sauce and a great Bolognese Sauce cannot be beat.

-Lisa Leahy

Lisa Leahy

Bolognese Sauce – A Great Sunday Dinner

Sundays are for Sauce and a great Bolognese Sauce cannot be beat.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: dinner, lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 1 lb. Meat (version of pork and beef) I use 1/2 80/20 Ground Beef and 1/2 lb. of ground pork or pork chops.
  • 4 Garlic Cloves Minced
  • 1 small Onion Chopped
  • 1 Carrot (Optional) – diced We leave this out as we have food allergies and it is still wonderful.
  • 1 Tbsp. Dried Basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil, lightly packed.
  • 1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
  • 2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
  • 1 small can Tomato Paste
  • 1 1/4 cup Red or White Wine I prefer the red wine but have used the white and it is very good with version also.
  • 1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes or Ground Peeled Tomatoes I prefer San Marzano but I use whatever I have on hand.
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 lb. Pasta I prefer substantial pasta like Pappardelle or Rigatoni.
  • 1/2 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan

Method
 

  1. Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy skillet or pot (I prefer my Dutch Oven for this) over medium – high heat.
  2. If using pork chops brown them and put them aside. Add the ground beef (and ground pork if that is your version). Cook until the meat is no longer pink (about 6 minutes), breaking it up as you go.
  3. I prefer to drain some of the fat off if there is a lot.
  4. Stir in the onion and sauté for a few minutes until soft and then add the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and the dried basil if that is what you are using.
  5. Add the tomato paste and stir until well combined. Add the wine and cook for a few minutes more.
  6. Add the large can of tomatoes, about 1/2 tbsp. of salt and a tsp. of black pepper.
  7. If I am using pork chops instead of ground pork, this is where I would add them back in. Cutting them into smaller pieces before I do.
  8. If using the all-ground meat version, I would bring to a boil and then lower the temperature, and simmer for ten minutes.
  9. If using the version with the pork chops, I would bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. This version I cook for a long time, a few hours until the pork breaks down and is easily shredded. It takes a long time but is worth it.
  10. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions.
  11. While the pasta cooks, add the cream, nutmeg, remaining wine and simmer for another 8-10 minutes.
  12. For a nice presentation, combine sauce with pasta and parmesan cheese and toss well in a large serving bowl. Add some parsley or fresh basil for a pretty presentation.